万物简史笔记

关于以前的科学家、数学家

18世纪科学家们发现了地球形状和维度、地球和太阳间的距离、地球重量。

By the eighteenth century scientists knew very precisely the shape and dimensions of the Earth, its distance from the Sun and planets and its mass.

1, shape and dimensions of the Earth and distance from the Sun

牛顿：地球不是完美的球状。著名三大运动定律和万有引力定律。引力公式。

2, mass of the Earth

Charles Hutton, mathematician, invents contour lines.

John Michell, designed and built a machine for measuring the mass of the Earth. One of the great scientific thinkers of the eighteenth century.

Henry Cavendish, had grandfathers as dukes respectively of Devonshire and Kent and suffered from serious shyness. The first one to isolate hydrogen and the first to combine hydrogen and oxygen to form water. Got John Michell's idea and machine and finished calculations with delicacy.

William Herschel, made telescopes with instruction from Michell.

接下来作者将要介绍的是对地球年龄的确认。待续。